MDApostille
Direct to Secretary of State · easy to do yourself

Birth Certificate apostille

A certified Maryland birth certificate goes straight to the Secretary of State.

A certified Maryland birth certificate goes straight to the Secretary of State. No notary and no county clerk are involved, so most people can do this on their own for $5.

The route

  1. Certified copyFrom Maryland Division of Vital Records (births from 1923 on), a county health department, or the Maryland State Archives (older records)
  2. Maryland Secretary of State16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 · $5 per document
  3. Apostille attachedValid in every Hague Convention country

Tips before you send it

  • Order a new certified copy if yours is old or worn. Many countries want one issued within the last 6 to 12 months.
  • Births from 1923 onward are issued by the Division of Vital Records. Many county health departments also print certified copies while you wait.
  • Births from 1875 to 1922 (Baltimore City) and 1898 to 1922 (counties) are held by the Maryland State Archives.
  • Do not laminate or notarize the certificate. A notarized photocopy cannot be apostilled as a birth record.

Do it yourself in five steps

  1. Order a certified copyRequest it from Maryland Division of Vital Records (births from 1923 on), a county health department, or the Maryland State Archives (older records).
  2. Write a cover noteName the destination country and give your phone and email.
  3. Add payment$5 per document, check or money order payable to the Secretary of State.
  4. Add return postageStamped self-addressed envelope or prepaid FedEx/UPS label.
  5. Mail to the Secretary of StateMaryland Secretary of State, Certification Desk, 16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.

Total government cost: $5 per document plus postage. Prefer not to? We file it for $50.

Questions

Does a Maryland birth certificate need a notary for the apostille?

No. Send the certified copy as issued; notarizing it would put it on the wrong route.

What does it cost to apostille a birth certificate?

$5 if you mail it to the Secretary of State yourself, or $50 through us.

Birth Certificate apostille by country

Other documents

Rather not deal with the clerk and the state yourself?

We take your document through every office and ship it back with the apostille. $50 per document, government fee included.

Start an order(410) 571-4370